Amazon Prime scoops up some of HBO's hottest titles

"The Sopranos" is among the HBO shows coming to Amazon Prime. - Wikimedia Commons

Popular HBO shows like "The Wire" and "Big Love" will be available on Amazon Prime Instant Video soon. It’s the first time HBO has made its shows available to an online-only subscription streaming service.

While HBO shows like "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" have been highly coveted by streaming video companies, HBO has been reluctant to license them. In part, that’s because HBO didn’t want to cannibalize it’s cable TV business, said Paul Sweeney, an analyst with Bloomberg Industries.

“The reason they’re licensing their streaming content now is simply a realization that more and more consumers particularly younger consumers are online,” Sweeney said. “I think HBO said, ‘Listen we need to be part of that business.’”

The network isn’t giving Amazon new episodes of shows like"Game of Thrones." And not all titles -- like "Sex in the City" -- will be available on Amazon Prime. Regardless, this is a big win for Amazon in its competition with Netflix, said Brad Adgate, an analyst at Horizon Media.

“This gives Amazon a real shot in the arm and I think Internet streaming video is going to be the next product category war,” Adgate said. He adds the deal get more people to adopt of Internet TV.